Coleman Francis

In the 1940 Francis headed for Hollywood to start an acting career His plans were initially interrupted by the Second World War during which he served in the medical detachment of the 49th Field Artillery Battalion 7th Infantry Division He played minor parts in several films from the late 1940s to early 1970s In 1959 Francis formed a partnership with Anthony Cardoza a welder by trade and together they created three films The Beast of Yucca Flats 1961 The Skydivers 1963 and Red Zone Cuba 1966 Francis wrote and directed the films while Cardoza handled production duties